Sponge liner sleeves for a core barrel assembly, sponge liners and related methods

Abstract

A liner tube for a core barrel assembly includes a substantially cylindrical sleeve having an inner surface configured to be coupled to a layer of material that is configured to absorb or adsorb formation fluids or parts of formation fluids. At every longitudinal location of the sleeve with respect to a longitudinal axis of the sleeve, a transverse cross-section of a wall of the sleeve may include at least one gap extending radially through the entire wall of the sleeve, such that the at least one gap separates a portion of the sleeve wall on one circumferential side of the at least one gap from another portion of the sleeve wall on an opposite circumferential side of the at least one gap. The sleeve has flexibility in a circumferential direction greater than that of a sleeve without a gap extending radially through an entire wall of the sleeve at a transverse cross-section of the sleeve at every longitudinal location of the sleeve. The sleeve may include at least two circumferential segments in contact with an elastic element extending in a circumferential direction. Methods of forming a liner for a core barrel assembly, methods of building a coring tool with such a liner, and methods of coring a formation material are also disclosed.